Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, Sept. 28:
- Kenny Phillips, Michael Sutton found not guilty in attempted murder retrial in 16-year-old case
- Ohio judge extends order blocking six-week abortion ban through Oct. 12
- Akron activists aren't satisfied with civilian police review board
- NEOMED to pursue development of dental college
- A songbird migration is underway. Turning off your lights can help keep them safe
- COVID-19 is associated with increase in new diagnoses of Type 1 diabetes in kids
- New Ohio bill aims to stop active shooter hoaxes and fake emergency reports
- Tampa Bay Rays top Guardians 6-5
- Your weather forecast: A 40% chance of rain
Kenny Phillips, Michael Sutton found not guilty in attempted murder retrial in 16-year-old case
The jury in the retrial of Kenny Phillips and Michael Sutton, two men convicted of multiple counts of attempted murder in 2007, returned a verdict of not guilty on all counts Tuesday, in a case that rested largely on the credibility of Cleveland homicide detective Daniel Lentz and Sergeant Michael Keane. The not guilty verdict Tuesday morning in the courtroom of Judge John P. O’Donnell was met with tears from Phillips, Sutton and the dozen or so of their family members and friends who had filled the courtroom each day of the weeklong trial. [Ideastream Public Media]
Ohio judge extends order blocking six-week abortion ban through Oct. 12
Ohio's six-week abortion ban will remain on hold for at least another two weeks, a Hamilton County judge ordered Tuesday. Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Christian Jenkins extended his temporary restraining order that put on hold a law banning doctors from performing abortions after cardiac activity is detected. He extended the temporary restraining order through Oct. 12. That means abortions are legal in Ohio through 20 weeks gestation or 21 weeks and six days after the last period − at least for now. [Columbus Dispatch]
Akron activists aren't satisfied with civilian police review board
Activists who have been calling for police reform in the aftermath of the fatal police shooting of Jayland Walker are not satisfied with the civilian review board passed by Akron city council Monday. Akron NAACP President Judi Hill and Ray Greene Jr., executive director of the community organizing group Freedom BLOC, are encouraging people to vote in November for a charter amendment that would create a different review board instead. If passed, that plan would supersede the city’s ordinance. One of the activists' main concerns is that the city's ordinance can be changed by future legislation, while their plan would be codified in the city’s charter, Greene said. [Ideastream Public Media]
NEOMED to pursue development of dental college
Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown (NEOMED) plans to develop a College of Dentistry to meet Ohio's "dire need for more dentists to serve rural and under-resourced populations," according to a news release. At its Sept. 15 meeting, the university's board of trustees reviewed a needs assessment and granted approval for the additional school. The university estimates it will cost about $25 million to successfully launch and sustain NEOMED's College of Dentistry. [Crain’s Cleveland Business]
A songbird migration is underway. Turning off your lights can help keep them safe
While most people are asleep, tens of thousands of songbirds are flying south for the winter. The annual migration is peaking this week in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, and in some cases, it's hampered by city lights. The Cincinnati Nature Center's Cory Christopher says the birds are navigating by the Earth's magnetic field, and blue light disrupts that. Christopher says that blue light can block birds’ ability to see the magnetic field which can cause them to crash into windows or fly around lights until they're too tired to continue. He says the solution is simple: turn off unnecessary lights at night. [WVXU]
COVID-19 is associated with increase in new diagnoses of Type 1 diabetes in kids
COVID-19 is associated with an increase in new diagnoses of Type 1 diabetes in children, according to a study by researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Researchers found a 72% increase in Type 1 diabetes diagnoses in patients 18 years and younger who had had COVID-19 in the last six months, according to the study published in September in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Researchers analyzed electronic health records of more than one million patients. [Ideastream Public Media]
New Ohio bill aims to stop active shooter hoaxes and fake emergency reports
Ohio lawmakers have said they want to prevent fake reports of emergencies that cause panic — such as the active shooting hoaxes that took place on Friday. Sen. Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware) is sponsoring a bill to stop "swatting" — a process internet scammers use by placing prank calls to law enforcement. On Friday, an internet hoax caused panic in eight Ohio schools by making false reports about active shooters on their campuses. [Statehouse News Bureau]
Tampa Bay Rays top Guardians 6-5
Harold Ramírez hit a two-run double with two outs in the 11th inning to lead the Tampa Bay Rays past the Cleveland Guardians, 6-5, at Progressive Field. The Rays blew a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning before scoring twice in the 11th. The victory brought the Rays closer to an American League wild card spot in the postseason. Ramírez played 99 games for Cleveland last season before being released. [AP]
Your weather forecast: Cloudy with a 40% chance of rain. High 59. A flood watch remains in effect until noon Wednesday for Cuyahoga, Erie, Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties, due to runoff and saturated soil. Tonight, a slight chance of showers. Low 50 in Cleveland, 45 in Akron. Tomorrow, Thursday, decreasing clouds. High 59. [National Weather Service]
